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Here where I live, I gotta be honest, RSP is a joke. You spend 6-7 hours beating to death the exact same things that you are going to learn in BCT. And in BCT not only are you going to do it for 6-7 hours, you will either do it every single day in BCT, or do it for 3 days anyway. In BCT they don't expect you to know anything. Thats why they teach you. Sure the extra couple hundred bucks is good. But I honestly think that RSP is a complete waste of time. I can't wait for BCT, but trying to tolerate some of the people in RSP is really annoying. Especially the Split-Op people that think they are the most amazing thing to ever live. Or "that guy" that thinks since he is an E-3 he can tell people what to do. Give me a break. I also am not too impressed with the people returning from BCT. Most of them barely pass the 2-2-2
I am not sure what to think about BCT yet but we had a girl come back from BCT AND AIT that couldn't do more than 3 push-ups. Pathetic. People say the Air Force is the weak branch. I know more respectful people in better physical shape in the Air Force than the Army. When someone goes into the Air Force recruiting station weighing too much, having a criminal background, or has never worked out in their life and asks if they can join, the AF recruiter points across the hall and says "there is the army".
Overall I am not very impressed with the Army. I am not trying to disappoint people but give me a break. I am in the ARNG and I will serve my country with LDRSHIP, and I will never, ever, ever, be as immoral as the people I have met in RSP.

Better work on your attitude.

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Bring up your concerns at your AAR's (after action reviews), attempt to make a change instead of whining about it on an internet forum. Or, better yet, do as Squash suggested and work on your attitude. Make RSP do something for you. Don't worry about anyone else. Learn everything you can, because everyone who has actually been to BCT will tell you that having that leg up on the very basic knowledge RSP helps you with is never a bad thing. And RSP isn't the only thing you have to get prepared for BCT. You also have yourself. Push yourself on your own time, mentally and physically.

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Here where I live, I gotta be honest, RSP is a joke. You spend 6-7 hours beating to death the exact same things that you are going to learn in BCT. And in BCT not only are you going to do it for 6-7 hours, you will either do it every single day in BCT, or do it for 3 days anyway. In BCT they don't expect you to know anything. Thats why they teach you. Sure the extra couple hundred bucks is good. But I honestly think that RSP is a complete waste of time. I can't wait for BCT, but trying to tolerate some of the people in RSP is really annoying. Especially the Split-Op people that think they are the most amazing thing to ever live. Or "that guy" that thinks since he is an E-3 he can tell people what to do. Give me a break. I also am not too impressed with the people returning from BCT. Most of them barely pass the 2-2-2

I am not sure what to think about BCT yet but we had a girl come back from BCT AND AIT that couldn't do more than 3 push-ups. Pathetic. People say the Air Force is the weak branch. I know more respectful people in better physical shape in the Air Force than the Army. When someone goes into the Air Force recruiting station weighing too much, having a criminal background, or has never worked out in their life and asks if they can join, the AF recruiter points across the hall and says "there is the army".

Overall I am not very impressed with the Army. I am not trying to disappoint people but give me a break. I am in the ARNG and I will serve my country with LDRSHIP, and I will never, ever, ever, be as immoral as the people I have met in RSP.

Welcome to the real world. Did you for some odd reason think that only the best of the best joined the military? In this day and age everyone who wants to go to school and not pay for it go in the national guard/reserves, not to mention (if you want bad), all the gang banger retards that join the military to further their ability to "Buss a cap." in other gang bangers...

The military is the same as any other large group. The make-up of your RSP is most likely a good reflection of the communities providing these people.

RSP is just like the rest of the military. It will be what you make of it. If you sit around refusing to learn you'll get nothing from it. And don't even try to tell me you've learned everything there is to know already. Get a hold of a skill level 1 book, a smart book, anything and study it in your down time. Do quick pt sessions, ask questions, be useful, earn the privilage to wear that uniform that you so casually disrespect, and make no mistake, that's exactly what you did. What have you done to help these people you see struggling?

And frankly, for some little private that doesn't know his butt from an OE254, your impression of "The Army" is so narrow and disrespectful to people MUCH better than you or I, that I'm trying very hard just to keep civil. LDRSHIP.. You don't even know what it means.

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And frankly, for some little private that doesn't know his butt from an OE254, your impression of "The Army" is so narrow and disrespectful to people MUCH better than you or I, that I'm trying very hard just to keep civil. LDRSHIP.. You don't even know what it means.

I second that one. RSP and the military in general is what you make of it. So if you're going to have a crappy attitude like that then that's exactly how your experience is going to be. Rather than disrespecting your fellow soldiers, as much as you may or may not like them, you should be helping them. Help them improve on their PT scores, give them the extra motivation while they're running. Never leave a soldier behind.

I would rather be in battle with one of those other soldiers by my side then one with your attitude. That's not going to get you anywhere.

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It sounds like you need an attitude adjustment. The RSP is here to help you to insure you can complete BCT with flying colors. And your your being snappy with the E3's for being 'bossy' then you really need to get your priorities straight. Most of the time if they are of a higher paygrade, they earned it through their own sweat or inteligence. Yes, even if it is a wimsy E3 paygrade. And they are trying to be leaders because that exactly what you need a the RSP. If the Cadre appoint the E3's your bickering about as team/class leader they are trying to evaluate that soldier to see what he/she has to be a leader, so i wouldn't gripe about it. Overall, RSP is fun, prepares you for BCT and gives me ( and probably others) the sence of honor by being in the ARNG. I have been attending RSP for 10 months (had to finish my senior year, now im shipping soon) and i am no longer being paid for it, but i continue to go even though i was told im no longer needed to. The RSP itself is just, fun.

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Here where I live, I gotta be honest, RSP is a joke. You spend 6-7 hours beating to death the exact same things that you are going to learn in BCT. And in BCT not only are you going to do it for 6-7 hours, you will either do it every single day in BCT, or do it for 3 days anyway. In BCT they don't expect you to know anything. Thats why they teach you. Sure the extra couple hundred bucks is good. But I honestly think that RSP is a complete waste of time. I can't wait for BCT, but trying to tolerate some of the people in RSP is really annoying. Especially the Split-Op people that think they are the most amazing thing to ever live. Or "that guy" that thinks since he is an E-3 he can tell people what to do. Give me a break. I also am not too impressed with the people returning from BCT. Most of them barely pass the 2-2-2

I am not sure what to think about BCT yet but we had a girl come back from BCT AND AIT that couldn't do more than 3 push-ups. Pathetic. People say the Air Force is the weak branch. I know more respectful people in better physical shape in the Air Force than the Army. When someone goes into the Air Force recruiting station weighing too much, having a criminal background, or has never worked out in their life and asks if they can join, the AF recruiter points across the hall and says "there is the army".

Overall I am not very impressed with the Army. I am not trying to disappoint people but give me a break. I am in the ARNG and I will serve my country with LDRSHIP, and I will never, ever, ever, be as immoral as the people I have met in RSP.

My RSP isn't like attending BCT either. The DS's are very funny, and friendly. I think this is a good idea though. I'm not afraid to ask questions, or inquire about different training. I look at RSP as a way to keep in mind that BCT is coming up.

As for the other soldiers, I wasn't exactly welcomed with open arms my first drill by the Green Phase either. After I drilled a few times and they saw that I put in effort, they are like my friends now. They tell me stories from when they went to BCT, and they give me tip after tip. You have to give respect to recieve it. If you attended our RSP with your nose in the air like that, I'm sure you wouldn't be treated the best either.

I enjoy RSP. I feel like when I finally leave for BCT, I won't feel completely and totally out of place.

Here where I live, I gotta be honest, RSP is a joke. You spend 6-7 hours beating to death the exact same things that you are going to learn in BCT. And in BCT not only are you going to do it for 6-7 hours, you will either do it every single day in BCT, or do it for 3 days anyway. In BCT they don't expect you to know anything. Thats why they teach you. Sure the extra couple hundred bucks is good. But I honestly think that RSP is a complete waste of time. I can't wait for BCT, but trying to tolerate some of the people in RSP is really annoying. Especially the Split-Op people that think they are the most amazing thing to ever live. Or "that guy" that thinks since he is an E-3 he can tell people what to do. Give me a break. I also am not too impressed with the people returning from BCT. Most of them barely pass the 2-2-2

I am not sure what to think about BCT yet but we had a girl come back from BCT AND AIT that couldn't do more than 3 push-ups. Pathetic. People say the Air Force is the weak branch. I know more respectful people in better physical shape in the Air Force than the Army. When someone goes into the Air Force recruiting station weighing too much, having a criminal background, or has never worked out in their life and asks if they can join, the AF recruiter points across the hall and says "there is the army".

Overall I am not very impressed with the Army. I am not trying to disappoint people but give me a break. I am in the ARNG and I will serve my country with LDRSHIP, and I will never, ever, ever, be as immoral as the people I have met in RSP.

I don't agree with your attitude or your delivery, which pretty much drip with disrespect and a total lack of tact, but I understand what you are saying. You had an image, an ideal if you will, for what you anticipated the military to be like, and you are not seeing that with your RSP experience. The question is, though, what are you going to do about it other than rant on this forum? As I was taught in Corporal's Course when I was in the Marines, if you want to be a leader, don't ever complain about a problem unless you can offer a solution. You used the word "I" thirteen times in your post. You are obviously very determined to set yourself on the right path, but what do you do to help your fellow Soldiers?

While I agree a lot with what the others have said, I won't stay on the bandwagon for this entire trip.

The OP is right to a point. Call me sympathetic if you will. I actually find it sort of comical when I see new recruits get warm fuzzies with their first RSP experience. Little do they know, they will be doing mostly the same stuff over and over and over and over again until they ship. Military time can be enjoyable and rewarding.....but it can also *****. And I am willing to bet many of their attitudes will change during that…which is perfectly understandable and I’ll explain why,.

So let's be honest here, you can teach almost all of that in a single MUTA 6, while still having time to do it repeatedly throughout the weekend. Four weeks later…what happens? You do it allover again. Repeat until you ship. You’d have to be a fool to think this will somehow appease most people if they have to do this for upwards of a year before shipping. (For the record, I shipped 16months after I enlisted as a junior in HS, with several months of what is now called RSP during that)

As a regular MOSQd soldier, would you not get a little tired of doing landnav, vehicle PMCS, equipment showdown and powerpoint presentations every drill? Literally….the SAME exact content every time, one weekend a month? Especially if you’re a young FNG with a bag full of goodies that your colorful recruiter has given you right?

Now, before you regular MDAY soldiers or fulltimers put on your HOOAH shirt and attempt to rip me a new one, I will acknowledge a few things. New guys especially should read this.

1. RSP is to prepare you for basic training primarily above all else. However….see #2.
2. Being non-MOSQd creates very limited training. There is no way around this. Until you have been properly trained as a soldier, you’re a great liability to your superiors around you with regards to legal and roster related reasons.
3. Every unit will have different SOPs and training outlines for their RSP units.
4. Some units incorporate some additional “fun” stuff to make RSP less dry. However, see #5.
5. Unit locations and access to outside resources can limit extracurricular training. This is especially true if you are located on a base…and those resources are shared.

Keep all this in mind. Remember that RSP is a different animal, just like boot camp is a different animal, just like your regular unit is a different animal just like active duty is a different animal. In the National Guard, they are all temporary phases (of various lengths) that you will experience.

Hope that helps clear up a few things. Give it time. Be motivated and professional during your time in RSP, even if it is boring. Another weekend down is one step closer to boot camp.

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.... Actually, I agree with your post for the most part. Time and training is limited to the state and what the person has already learned. Frustration is normal with it. If you do the same thing over and over anyone will be frustrated. Everyone likes to say that his attitude needs adjustment, which may be partially true, but EVERYONE does the same thing eventually at some point. However, every person also has a point where they look at themselves and decides I'm going to wallow in self pity about it, or find a way to enjoy it. this is when you get the dumb games and "friends forever" guys. You latch onto each other and talk about how much it su-cks and how much you hate it. Then you do something hard and talk about how much that su-cked but it was fun after it was over. I HATE the gas chamber going through it, but you can bet I'm laughing at every person who goes though after me cause I know how it feels.

BUT- I will say if you see things jacked up about fellow Soldiers, you need to fix it. I don't care if you're an E-1 fuzzy correcting a COL because he has his Beret on wrong or something(Tactfully of course). You have an obligation to help your fellow buddies out. If you see someone is struggling with PT, help him/her. If they can't understand something, teach them. You get only what you give to the training. Once it gets repetative, you need to find ways to make it better. Teaching someone else always helps the cause, You're helping them learn, your reinforcing it on yourself, and showing others you are a leader.

Awesome response Steve. You basically summed everything up. I been in the military for so long and I constantly see things that I do not agree with it but as soldiers we adjust and recommend on how we can improve. Weekly, I have to attend repetitive safety briefs, weapons cleaning, meeting and calendar scrubs, ensure Motor Stables - PMCS (which my sergeants do), and the same reports and evaluations. JBUZZ was expecting some stuff he has seen in the movies but he needs to realize he will only see a narrow view of the military from his present rank. As you grow, move up in rank and responsibility and get increased responsibility (serving in higher echelons) will you understand the big picture.

Take time to settle and learn the basics and keep improving as a person and soldier. You talk about LDRSHIP (Army Values). Act like a leader and learn first to not gripe and keep your eyes open and mouth shut.

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In the days before the "RSP" newly enlisted soldiers went to thier units, and other than some in-processing paperwork they did nothing but sit around and watch everyone else do thier job, and train. They existed as gophers and got to sit in on classes, but could not do field training. Many new enlistees started not showing up to drill and failed to ship as they saw thier existance as unimportant - those that did this never became MOSQ and learned that they are an important part of the machine.

One facet of the current RSP existance is the previous. Now with that in mind, what does one expect - to be attending major training excercises? The program was developed to hit certain core areas, and yes in BCT these same areas will be hit over and over again (as this is BCT and it has always been part of the program). Is it a "leg up" on BCT attendance, possibly; does it have new recruits actively involved into the ARNG, yes; is the Active Duty component attempting a similar type of program with new enlistees waiting to ship (on some weeknights and for a few hours on some weekends), yes.

If someone has completed BCT is that a point of bragging rights? yes - does it make them or any E-3 on the street a fully competant leader? no. If you have concerns about your RSP experience you need to voice them - try to see if, from the bottom up, you can help to create an improvement in the program in your area. Also, do not expect to be learning an MOS or other high speed types of training in the RSP, that will happen later when you are a fully qualified soldier. Until then you should be happy that you are doing something other than sitting around or doing gopher work - but then again none of this may actually matter or sink-in until well after you have completed BCT and AIT (hindsight always being 20/20).

I certainly hope that BCT and AIT meet your standards for approval. If not, what you will need to do is simply get with the Senior Drill Sergeant (I would not even worry about the platoon level DS) and explain the issue, and how you think it should be improved. Then I do think you will see another side of the Army BCT program, and be an example to the rest of the trainees around you.

In the days before the "RSP" newly enlisted soldiers went to thier units, and other than some in-processing paperwork they did nothing but sit around and watch everyone else do thier job, and train. They existed as gophers and got to sit in on classes, but could not do field training. Many new enlistees started not showing up to drill and failed to ship as they saw thier existance as unimportant - those that did this never became MOSQ and learned that they are an important part of the machine.

I certainly hope that BCT and AIT meet your standards for approval. If not, what you will need to do is simply get with the Senior Drill Sergeant (I would not even worry about the platoon level DS) and explain the issue, and how you think it should be improved. Then I do think you will see another side of the Army BCT program, and be an example to the rest of the trainees around you.

I use to discuss with the Command Sergeant Major over a Starbucks latte how he could do a better job training his battalion. I could have started with the senior DS, but I was an ambitious go-getter ya know.